The number of children in England requiring urgent mental health care has surged by 13% over the past year, with the mental health charity YoungMinds revealing a concerning increase in emergency referrals. Official data shows that between April and October 2024, 34,793 children were referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) crisis teams. This marks a significant rise from 31,749 in the same six-month period in 2023.
Rising Demand for Mental Health Services
Many of these children are facing critical mental health challenges, including suicidal thoughts and severe eating disorders, with long NHS waiting times exacerbating their conditions. According to YoungMinds, a growing number of young people are being pushed into crisis due to the delays in accessing the support they urgently need.
Laura Bunt, the chief executive of YoungMinds, expressed grave concern over the rise in referrals, emphasizing the importance of early intervention to prevent young people’s mental health from deteriorating further. She stated, “Early support would help prevent many young people from becoming more unwell, but instead their mental health is deteriorating, pushing them into crisis and, in some instances, putting young people’s lives at risk. This is a shocking betrayal of young people and their mental health.”
Data Breakdown: A Strain on Resources
The analysis of the latest NHS data found a 13% increase in both “very urgent” and “urgent” referrals for mental health crisis care between April and October 2024, compared to the previous year. There were 4,424 new very urgent referrals, up from 3,912 in 2023, and 24,886 new urgent referrals, a rise from 22,045 the year before.
However, emergency referrals decreased slightly by 5%, from 5,792 to 5,483. Despite the dip in emergency cases, the overall trend shows a 10% increase in all types of urgent care referrals, further highlighting the strain on the mental health system.
Calls for Systemic Change
Experts are calling for significant reforms to address the root causes behind the growing demand for mental health services. Dr. Elaine Lockhart, chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ child and adolescent faculty, pointed to a combination of factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the ongoing cost of living crisis, and rising social pressures, which have all contributed to the surge in mental health problems among young people.
“The pandemic, cost-of-living crisis, and a range of other factors have had a significant impact on children’s mental health,” Dr. Lockhart explained. “Mental health services help thousands of young people recover from mental ill-health every year, but they’re struggling to manage soaring demand due to staff shortages and a lack of resources.” She added that these challenges are leading to longer waiting times and a higher likelihood of children reaching a crisis point before receiving the necessary care.
Rising Eating Disorder Admissions
In addition to the rise in mental health crisis referrals, separate data analyzed by PA Media revealed a 5% increase in hospital admissions related to eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia. Admissions for anorexia rose from 9,371 in 2022/23 to 9,969 in 2023/24, while bulimia-related admissions grew from 5,075 to 5,212 during the same period.
Government Response
The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the challenges facing children and young people in accessing timely mental health care. A spokesperson confirmed that efforts are underway to address the shortage of mental health professionals, stating, “We will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers, provide young people with access to a specialist mental health professional in every school, and ensure that every community has access to a ‘Young Futures Hub.’”
Despite these commitments, mental health advocates and professionals are urging for faster and more comprehensive action to address the escalating crisis and to prevent more young people from reaching critical stages of mental illness.
As the demand for mental health services continues to rise, the focus remains on improving early access to care and ensuring that adequate resources are in place to support young people before their conditions worsen.
